Kilboubne tompkins



4 K. TOMPKINS.

Envelope.

No. 227,077. Patented April 27. 1880 M J a. W J

MPETERS, PHOTQUYHOGRAPHER. WAsNXNGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

KILBOURNE TOMPKINS, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOPE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,077, dated April 27, 1880.

Application filed December 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KILBOURNE ToMPKiNs, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinven ted certain Improvements in Envelopes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to envelopes made of paper or other material to be used in transmittin g through the United States mails pieces of muslins, laces, silks, cloths, or other mailable articles, and which may be made of any size or shape.

In Figure 1 the dark lines show the envelope before folding, the dotted lines representing it after being folded. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the completed envelope.

In the drawings, A and B represent the end flaps of the envelope, and O and D represent the side flaps of the envelope.

Theinvention consistsin makingthe end flap, A, long enough to reach, when folded, nearly or quite to the bottom or opposite end of the envelope, and as near to the full width of the envelope in the other direction as it can be made, and folded inside under the flaps O and D, which are folded over the flap A and pasted (the flaps O and D) one to the other, so as to allow the flap A to be withdrawn from within the envelope without destroying the envelope, so that when mailable articles are placed within the envelope they are securely kept and protected, the flap B being fastened on the outside of the envelope with gum or wax or other sealing material, while the end where the flap A is folded in remains unsealed, in compliance with the regulations of the Post Office Department for transmitting articles through the mails at the cheaper rates of postage.

My invention is used as follows: When it is desired to fill the envelope it is held in the hand with the flap B-upward; then, by squeezing the envelope, the sides are distended and the envelope becomes shaped like a bag, into which the articles to be inclosed are placed through the opening in the end covered by the flap B, under the flap A, which, being folded inside the envelope, forms the bottom of the bag made by distending the sides of the envelope. After the articles are placed within the envelopethe flap Bmay be sealed. The envelope, with its contents, will then be in condition for examination, in compliance with the regulations of the Post Officc Department, which examination can be made by withdrawing the flap A and removing the contents of the envelope through that end ofthc envelope. After examining the contents they can he returned to the envelope and the flap A can be,

replaced, leaving the envelope and its contents in the same condition as before the examination, no seals having been broken.

I am aware that envelopes are now made for the same purpose for which my improvement may be used; but instead of having, like mine, a flap, A, folded inside the envelope, they have a flap folded outside and fastened with tape or cord or other similar devices. 

